Solar lighting your stables

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flowerhorse

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I'm looking at getting solar lighting for my stables. Has anyone got any good advice on how I should go about this?

My stables are permanent and could potentially be put on mains from the house but the cost implication of connecting up,I'm told, is unreasonable and I would be better off with solar lighting?
 
Why not use 12v LEDs? Our have run successfully via a leisure battery for the last ten years.

We have the garden lighting cable run on ring circuits through IP rated outdoor switches to LED bulbs the same size as house downlighters, fitted into the brackets for MR16 halogen bulbs. It is all 12 volt with the convenience of a switch and we just swap the battery (kept in a locked box since some light-fingered swine nicked the solar charger) panel)
 
We got a kit from Sunshine Solar designed for a chicken shed, it lights two good size boxes, need to keep an eye on the battery in the winter, and charge by mains from time to time, and wear a head torch just in cars :). I am sure there are better systems but this was a cheap and cheerful job and is still in use 6 years on.
 
Sorry I am of no help as to go about but am interested in your post as I was thinking today about getting some to put up on my stables. Have you tried contacting a solar power panel company to get quotes etc? That's what I am going to do first x
 
Hadn't thought about a solar panel company tbh as I thought they may be fairly expensive and I would like to keep costs to a minimum. Good idea though!
 
I have solar, running 5 stables and an exterior light. All put up and connected by my husband.
The most important things, IMHO, is to get proper solar equipment, like the actual battery and the wiring. Much can be sourced at better prices from ebay, as opposed to solar specialist shops.
It was quite expensive, but it does not normally need charging, as a Car battery would. The battery is actually so large that it can run equipment from it, such as small kettle using car adapter etc.
I had car batteries previously, and they did not last long during winter. Last winter, I did not need to charge my solar battery up at all.
 
The system that we have on our mobile home on the beach would suit .
One solar panel ( the type that works with ambient light as well as bright sun ) a control panel monitoring the charging of two leisure battery's 12 v LEDs works brilliantly .
Our clever groom fitted it all. The system cost around £300 plus the LEDs and the battery's ( I think I am a bit hazy on that )
It's fantasic if I had stables and no mains I would go for it rather than the costs and bills of the mains .
 
So part of me thinks the easy option, 12v battery etc. however I think the investment of dollar panels is worth it as we have no intention of moving house. I'll get the husband onto it, cheers guys!
 
We had mains electric from the house to the stables but it kept tripping everything out in high winds, so we've disconnected it and now have solar lighting. We have 2 shed lights from B&Q in each box, they kept going all through the snow last winter. We had a double outside light which blew down recently and no longer works. We now have a fabulous outside light from Amazon, which was more expensive but can switched on from the kitchen doorstep and is wonderful.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
. We now have a fabulous outside light from Amazon, which was more expensive but can switched on from the kitchen doorstep and is wonderful.
Click to expand...

Hi with ref to quote above Pearlasinger - is this solar powered as well ? It would be lovely to have a light that we could turn on as approaching yard don't like the ones that are activated by movement for security reasons xx
 
I have a leisure battery running my lights, Its charged continually by a solar panel. Works well. The best we did though was when my partner bought little strings of leds that are for going under cars (boy racer style) he got them off Ebay for a bout £2 and they were amazing.
 
another option to consider with LED lights is some sort of rechargeable battery pack that you could charge up from the cig lighter in the car on the way to / from the stables
 
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